Dragon Ball‘s fandom is very familiar with fan-theories by now. Over the years, Akira Toriyama’s famous franchise has accrued hundreds of fan-theories, but only a few wind up coming true. Recently, one Reddit user shared their in-depth prediction for Jiren in the Tournament of Power, and fans have never wanted a theory to come true more.
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Taking to social media, user /jl_theprofessor was gifted gold on Reddit for his length theory about Jiren. If you are caught up with Dragon Ball Super, then you know the character is being hyped as one of Goku’s most formidable opponents yet. Jiren is the favorite to win the Tournament of Power, but fans are not sure what his endgame is. The Pride Trooper is a paragon of justice, so fans have wondered whether Jiren hopes to win the Super Dragon Balls to help him keep Universe 11 safe
However, the fandom is growing more convinced that Jiren may be leading Dragon Ball Super into a far bigger story.
According to the community’s most recent theory, Jiren is not as interesting in winning the Tournament of Power as fans think. Time and again, the fighter has mentioned his interest in the Saiyan race, but he has yet to ring out Goku or Vegeta despite having ample opportunities too. Fans think Jiren’s hesitation stems from his interest in recruiting the pair for an impending War of the Gods.
Jiren is said to be stronger than his universe’s God of Destruction, and you can bet the justice-focused fighter is upset about the Tournament of Power. The deities of the multi-verse seem nonplussed by the idea that millions will die when one universe is erased, so Jiren may be looking to take down that order.
“This is an uncaring cosmic order in which the Angels, not matter how much we might like their personalities, aren’t particularly invested in the survival of the people that live in those universes. No matter how much Whis might like Earth’s food or Vados might enjoy banter with Champa, at the end of the day, they will (most likely) be around long after their respective universes are gone. The Angels aren’t anybody’s friends, not really, no matter how kind and respectful they might be in general. We have to remember these are entities far above the plane of mortals. And maybe Jiren understands that better than anyone and wants to break that current order,” the Reddit user posted.
“Maybe he’s looking for people like Goku and Vegeta that can break the current cosmic order, to tap into something beyond mere strength. We already understand the priority Jiren places on meditation. There have been moments in Dragon Ball Super our attention has been drawn to the spirit inside of people, not their ki. Even the first appearance of Super Saiyan God required pure spirit, not ki. Maybe the entire tournament is to emphasize that strength is not enough so long as the universe could be wiped out in a moment. They need more than strength. Jiren doesn’t quite know what that is, but he’s looking for it in people like Goku. He keeps provoking Goku into stronger and stronger feats as he searches for this quality beyond strength that could maybe be used to defeat the current cosmic order of Angels and Gods of Destruction over mortals โ essentially waging a divine war to permanently secure the safety and lives of the mortals who live in the universes.”
If Dragon Ball Super winds up fulfilling this kind of theory, then fans of the franchise will be in for a major shift. Toriyama’s stories have not held such complexities thus far, but fans are hopeful Toyotaro’s involvement with the franchise may strengthen its structures enough to bare this kind of story. So, if Jiren winds up taking Goku and Vegeta to war, then Dragon Ball Super may take the jump needed to outdo Dragon Ball Z.
Do you hope this theory comes true in the long run? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!